It has taken four architecture competitions and 33 years for the Greeks
to settle on a design for the New Acropolis Museum and build the thing.
The winning vision — that of New York architect Bernard Tschumi —
boasts balcony views of the Parthenon and a glass floor that reveals archeological remains underfoot.This museum has a grander purpose: winning back the Elgin Marbles, a
set of sculptures removed from the Acropolis and spirited to Britain in
the 19th century. Britain has maintained that its world-class museums
are the best home for the artifacts. This is Greece’s concrete argument
that it won’t stop until it’s got all its marbles. — Abha Bhattarai